Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle continue on background of degradation of Israeli legitimacy

When the Israeli leaders and high-ranking officers are afraid to go abroad because of pending war crimes indictments. When their anger and incitement are directed to the Israeli dissidents opposing 1967 occupation, the joint struggle continue and draw wider spectrum of Israeli radicals. The joint struggle expand even within the 1948 borders. Al-Araqeeb, Lod and Taibe (1948) and (1967) Beit Ummar, Bil'in, Al Ma'sara, Nabi Salih, Ni'ilin, Sheikh Jarrah, South of Hebron mountains. [Italiano]

Al-Araqeeb

"Police fire sponge bullets at Israeli citizens in al-Araqib

The Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb was destroyed for the 9th time on Sunday morning in the wasteland of Israeli democracy. Today police forces were back in Al-Araqib destroying make-shift structures which had been erected over night. Villagers resisting the takeover have been arrested and beaten, with eyewitnesses reporting use of sponge bullets. Based on villagers’ and activists’ accounts, the state is planning a major offense to erase the village once and for all in order to make room for a forest to be planted by the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

As I write this, a group of Israeli citizens are standing in their family graveyard. The graveyard has stood in the same spot of land in the middle of Negev for the past eighty years. If they leave the area of the graveyard, they will be arrested. They remain in the graveyard watching their village being destroyed in front their eyes. Israeli activists from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem [of the AAtW, Ta'ayus, Solidarity Sheikh Jarrah and others] who joined them report that the police are firing sponge bullets to encourage the people to leave the graveyard. Between 6 and 13 people have been arrested for refusing to leave the village. Some of the arrested are reportedly being taken to the hospital due to police brutality during the arrests. The citizens standing in the graveyard are Bedouin and the state is erasing their village in order to plant a forest.

Since the summer of 2010, Israel has leveled the village of al-Araqeeb nine times. According to a press release from the Israeli activists group Hithabrut-Tarabut,

Tuesday, 18.1.11 early morning, a contingent of the anarchists against the wall and others went to El Arakib to defy the use of the Day Of Planting for transfer of the Araqeeb Bedouins, after the 10th demolition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqmWcnS3MA

Sunday, Be'er Sheva court farce

Activists demonstrated out of the court while the judge laundered the transfer activities of state against the indigenous Bedouins.

The demonstrators organized themselves in front of the wall in a large peace sign, with each person holding a picture of Pollak's face. This was in order to send a message to the world that the people of Bil'in are standing in peace against the occupation and the effect it has on those who take action against the it. The soldiers responded with spraying the demonstrators standing in the peace sign with waste water contaminated with chemicals, followed by tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets. Dozens of people suffered from tear gas inhalation and from being sprayed with the waste water.
Israel before 14 hours, 29 minutes

Bil'in & Ma'sara

Solidarity with Jonathan Pollak

Two Friday demonstrations in the West Bank has been dedicated to the day of solidarity with the Speaker of the popular committees against the wall and settlements, Jonathan Pollak, one of the founders of the AAtW, who began serving a week ago three months imprisonment. The army responded with gas and arrests.

In Bil'in two hundred protesters [50 Israelis, about this number Internationals, and Palestinian of the village and from the region], marched to the separation fence and called for their release. When demo reached the fence, protesters formed a peace symbol-shaped, pose it on purpose to send the pictures to jail Hermon, where Jonathan is incarcerated. Then few demonstrators entered the route of the the fence to protect the barrier, hang the pictures on the electronic fence. The army was quick to intervene smelly skunk spraying water, the wind carried back at the soldiers.

The Eastern wind prevented the swift dispersing of demo with tear gas as the state force usually do, and the demonstration lasted another hour, facing some more skunk water and rather small amount of tear gas. The demonstrators were able to tear some of the outer fence, and some youths threw stones at the truck skunk. The relatively low level of violence of the army can be explained by the wind that also "benefited" the soldiers with skunk water tear gas, but mostly as a crew of Israeli TV 2 accompanied protesters.

Despite the media presence that caused the army to change the patterns of activity in the extreme, they could not restrain themselves long enough, and at the end of the demonstration after its end was declared and everyone began to return to the village the soldiers decided to cross the fence and run after the departing people, and started a massive fire of tear gas for about half an hour after the end of the demonstration. It will be interesting to see how the events will be reported in the Israeli TV 2.

Al Ma'sara

"Meanwhile in Ma'sara a smaller parade was held. 15 Israelis and few internationals joined a score of the villagers. They carried pictures of Jonathan Polk who was often arrested at the demonstration area. They were stopped by soldiers at the exit from the village towards the fence, not yet built. As the soldiers did not allow the march of protesters to exit from the village, most of them set on the road in protest. After few minutes, a high ranking officer hollered on the soldiers commanding them to push the demonstrators towards the village. Gradually the demo was dispersed. One Israeli demonstrator was arrested when he tried to bypass the soldiers."

This Friday the Nabi Salih demonstration against the occupation started in the neighboring village Beit Rima, from which a march to Nabi Salih went directly through the army post. Some 60 people marched through the road chanting songs of resistance. The army kept retreating until it stopped near Nabi Saleh village and allowed the protesters to pass through and arrive to Nabi Salih. Every Friday the Israeli army blocks all road entrances to Nabi Salih as a collective punishment measure for demonstrating. This time the demonstrators' first act was to break this siege.

After reaching the village, the demonstrators attempted to continue walking through the main street but were violently stopped by the army soldiers using stun grenades. One 10 year old boy was attacked by a soldier with pepper spray. After a while protesters went away from the soldiers. Some youth attempted to ward off the army incursion by stone throwing. The army took control of several roofs in the village, and used tear gas extensively inside the village populated area. Some youth managed to escape the army grip on the village and clashed with soldiers in the surrounding hill

During the last two weeks, the military has started using another familiar mode of oppression against the courageous people of Nabi-Salih - frequent night raids including house visits. Up until tonight, most of the incursions were focused on photographing the village youth, mainly of minors, and in many cases even of kids under 12 (not criminally liable).

Tonight, (Saturday) at around 2AM, the soldiers violently arrested a 14 years old in his house. He is currently anticipating interrogation.

Our friends would highly appreciate our presence in the village during the coming nights.

Please contact shxxxxxx@yahoo.com or 052-xxxxxxx (SMS would be much preferable during the day, thanks) if you can join tonight. Contact details for the rest of the week will be posted soon.

Lod

This Tuesday, 18\01\11 at the protest tent – Hellen Keller st. corner of Hamasger st. 18:00 – Vigil 19:00 Music Show:

"On Saturday January 22nd, 2011 we will visit the Southern Hebron Hills to clean water cisterns demolished by the army.

The Palestinian residents of the Southern Hebron Hills are dependent for their water supply on cisterns, located between the villages. The Civil Administration recently demolished 13 of these cisterns. The settlers and the military also prevent the Palestinians from accessing other cisterns in order to perform maintenance work, necessary to guarantee that the water drawn from them can still be used."
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See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

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The failed arrest of 12 year old child in Nabi Saleh caused a million views storm in the media. This situation and the next Friday of the joint struggle demonstrated again how the involvement of the AATW Israeli Jews prevented in the past and prevent now the extinguishing of the non armed Palestinian struggle with rivers of blood. It was one shooting of Gil Naamati in 2003 in a joint action of the anarchists AATW that caused a real wide media scandal in Israel (which forced the higher commander of the army to visit him at hospital and apologize) that resulted in the change of shooting order about dispersing non armed demonstrations in the occupied lands when Israelis are involved. In addition to our helping to distribute the news, Our main contribution is the supply of "life insurance" to the Palestinians and even to the stone throwers in the demos.... though it is not perfect and along the years about 20 were killed and many more were injured. [Italiano]

It is hard for many activists when the real meaning of the struggle are not concrete achievable gains, but a global worldwide struggle. This week, the concrete and the global merged when the struggle against the destruction of Susiya village recruited international support and forced Israel to delay or even cancel the demolition of the village. Pressure from the imperial powers on Israel was joined by European warning about approaching sanctions against the Israeli banking system for its involvement in the settlers' projects in the occupied West Bank. It seems the erosion of Israeli immunity from paying for its war crimes is collecting momentum. The Israeli media is full of news about B.D.S. - the joint struggle in which thousands of international activists participate, contributing a lot. The heroic Bil'in, Ni'lin, Nabi Saleh, Qaddum, Ma'sara, and Sheikh Jarrah keep the weekly flame from extinguishing. [Italiano]

The non armed joint actions - mainly few Friday demos, do not cause the Israeli armed forces much load. However, the focusing of the media on these, and more so the international activist participating in them who enhance the international struggle when they return home, really worry the Israeli authorities. Their borders screening which succeed to prevent the entry of activists is not much effective. The Israeli ruling elite is not in panic yet, but lately they worry a lot. The president of Israel warn that the development of the B.D.S. must cause a real concern. The threat of the expulsion from the FIFA cause Israel to make concession to prevent the voting and even agreed to a special monitoring comity. The subject of the B.D.S. is more and more in the media and many of the speaker admit their fear from its intensifying. [Italiano]

The election which was a response to rebellion in the elite - threatening to restrict his daily newspaper - resulted in a partial defeat. He is dependant now on the support of the center-right party and the orthodox parties,and now he is trying desperately to regain control. The mounting pressure on Israel threatens to take a fast escalation. It is already expressed in the threat to expel Israel from FIFA and of intervention of the Hague Court. The French initiative in the UN security council is approaching. The escalation in transfer actions - both within Israel and the West Bank is an effort to recruit at least the support of orthodox parties and the extreme right. In spite of harsher efforts to repress the Palestinian struggle - both in occupied east Jerusalem and the popular non-armed struggle the struggle continues. The very optimistic activists already feel the approaching victory. [Italiano]

The B.D.S. which intensify the pressure not only worry the Israeli elite - it already caused a split in it. The split expressed in the initiation of law against the Netaniahu daily caused him to dismantle his coalition and call for election. The result was even worse for him. He lost the majority of the hard core right. The 61 (versus 59) coalition was achieved only with Kakhlon center-right that already blocked the main rightist moves and some of the extreme neoliberal tendency. A new power balance in the Israeli elite may result with a near future coalition with the pseudo left party Zionist List or even entirely different coalition without Netaniahu or even without the Licud party. With this back ground, transfer of Palestinians intensify - both citizens of Israel and in the occupy west bank... And the repression and struggle continue in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nebi Saleh, Qadoom, Ma'asarah, Sheikh Jarrah, South Hebron Hills and sporadicly in other places. [Italiano]

With the conviction that our main contribution is not so much in changes on the ground but in the spirit of the struggle of the participants and the fulcrum we provide to the international lever. The gradual increase in international pressure which the Israeli high court verdict is that is a criminal act for Israeli to promote causing already much of damages in the economy of occupation and concern of the Zionist-colonialist Israeli ruling Elite. We see here again how small number of activists can initiate a turn in the course of history when it is applied in the ripe cross-road. It started in a small joint camp in Masha 2003 for struggle against the separation fence, after the idea raised half a year earlier in the European People Global Action conference in Leiden - in which activists from the East of the Mediterranean region participated too. The camp initiated struggles in various villages that riped at 2005 in the Bil'in struggle... which expanded and expanded...

The frustrated Israeli state force who do not dare to prevent the weekly non armed popular demonstrations - Joined and purely of Palestinians, resort to shooting on demonstrators with frequent use of live fire by snippers. In the annexed regions of Jerusalem they no more pretend it is not an occupied area and apply there the occupation procedures - both in treatment of detaining children and houses demolition. The "hot" areas of the popular non armed struggle gradually expand but still far away from a general uprising. The international popular struggle worry the Israeli elite but the damages to the Israeli economy is still in the margins. It seems the Zionist settler colonialist elite which bribed the tycoons section of the capitalist elite with extreme neo liberal measures cannot do it any more as other sections of the capitalist elite (backers of Cakhlon) rebelled.

The merger between the Zionist leadership and the capitalist elite which started 1948 picked in the Tycoons dominance, at 20010. The "too successful" neo-liberalism was challenged by the social struggle, conflicts within the capitalist elite and threatened by international pressure yielded the diminishing power of the old order when the right lost its absolute power in the parliament depending now on the opponent of the milder Zionist right (Kachlon). It is not sure how fast the retreat in the neo-liberal trend and the defeat of the Tycoons combined with the international pressure will yield also retreat in the advance of the Zionist settler and transfer effort. Mean time the joint struggle continue in Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nebi Saleh, Kadum, Ma'asarah, Southern Hebron Hills, Sheikh Jarrah, the Bedouins of the south, Dahamsh... with additional locations from time to time. [Italiano]

The minimal pressure of the imperial power on Israel to soften its pressures applied to the would be transfered Palestinians of the 1967 occupied areas have its results (more in the west bank than in the Gaza Ghetto). The about 100.000 Palestinians of the occupied territories are employed by Israelis. Most of the roadblocks were removed. The rebellion of the Palestinians in the west bank is channeled mostly through a small minority of activists in the joint and separate week end activities. People are like holding their breath to see if the culminated crisis in the international arena will yield a significant break throw. Mean time, the persistent week end struggles - though in a diminished intensity in Bil'in, Ma'asara, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, Qaddum, South of Hebron Hills, Sheik Jarrah... with sporadic struggles in other locations. [Italiano]

The approaching victory in the struggle to block the advance of the Zionist settler colonialist project and even to force it to retreat a bit do not make the real good people to like the enrolling of history. The approaching defeat make the Israeli elite take desperate steps and do its atrocities in the open. The efforts to transfer the Bedouins within 1948 borders and villagers in 1967 occupied territories escalate. The diminishing support of Israel by the imperial power due to changes in the dynamics of the region, world public opinions and economic losses it cause gradually change the power balance within the Israeli capitalist elite that may be expressed in the coming elections. On the ground, the joint struggle in Bil'in, Ni'lin, Ma'sara, Nebi Saleh, Sheikh Jarrah, Qaddum, and South Of Hebron Hills, is gradually expanding to other locations even without the "shield" of Israeli activists. [Italiano]

The Kobane resistance that has passed its 45th day as of now has caused the attention of revolutionaries all over the world to turn to Rojava. As a result of the work carried out by Revolutionary Anarchist Action (DAF), anarchist comrades from many parts of the world have sent messages of solidarity to the Kobane resistance.(1) This internationalist stance without a doubt carries great importance for the people resisting in Kobane. However if we do not analyze what is happening in all its truth and if we romanticize instead, our dreams will turn to disappointment in short order.

The main features of the Syrian revolution are its youthful, spontaneous aspect, and the fact that it was created on the streets and is linked directly to the people. It is a revolution without centralized control, led by insurgent individuals. Consequently, no-one can claim to govern it or lead and the reason is simple: the young insurgents rose up spontaneously and there are no signs of participation by religious elements, whose ideas are extremely reactionary, or indeed by any other tendency. [العربية ]

From 5-15 April 2009, a member of Anarchists Against the Wall, Haggai Matar (well-known also for his anti-militarist work, since he was one of the first of the new wave of political objectors to military service), will be in Italy for a speaking tour with the dual aim of providing updates on the current situation in the struggle against the wall and the occupation, and of collecting funds for the activities of AAtW. If you can, please come to one of the events below. If you are unable to attend but you want to contribute to the work of AAtW, please log on to http://awalls.org/donations for details on how to do so. [Italian]

Anarchists Against the Wall and the Bil'in Popular Committee exemplify the nonviolent resistance to the Israeli-built "Separation Wall" on Palestinian land, as well as steadfastness in the diverse grass-root campaigns against the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Ahmad Husam Yousef Mousa, 10 years old, was murdered yesterday as he demonstrated together with his friends against the separation wall which is being constructed on the lands of his village Ni'ilin. When Ahmad and his friends reached the construction site the soldiers shot rubber bullets at them and they began to
retreat. At that point one of the soldiers shot a live round at Ahmad's head from a distance of about 10 meters.